The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 129: Chapter 129

Tara quickly suspected that Alyssa might be her child, so she started snooping around for information. She even thought to herself that a pretty little girl like that could fetch a good price if sold off to some poor family.
While digging around, Tara and her husband stumbled onto something even bigger. It turned out the person who adopted their child was actually the CEO of Brannon Creative Group—a level of success they could never dream of reaching in their lifetime.
After talking it over, they decided to divorce so Tara could use the kid as leverage to get to Keith. To their surprise, he didn't take the bait and made sure Alyssa was kept safe.
With no better plan left, Tara and her husband eventually went for this reckless move.
To Alyssa and the people around her, it had all been a disaster out of nowhere.
Fortunately, Tara and her ex-husband were eventually caught. They were convicted of child abandonment, human trafficking, and several other charges. It would be many years before either of them saw daylight again, so they were no longer a threat.
Maybe it was because Alyssa had been unconscious when she was taken, and by the time she woke up, she was already back at the police station. Either way, she hadn't been too shaken, and her condition hadn't worsened. Serena was incredibly relieved.
The downside, however, was that Alyssa had become even more attached to Serena. She was so comfortable now that she didn't want to leave. She flat-out refused to go back home and would rather have a new nanny care for her here than return home.
In the end, Keith made a new decision.
When Serena heard his idea, she froze for a second. "You're moving in here?" But then she thought about how Alyssa clearly had no intention of going home, and it all made sense.
Serena arched a brow and teased, "So since Alyssa won't go back with you, now you're the one coming over instead?"
She was only joking, of course. Besides, there were plenty of empty rooms in the house, so letting Keith move in wasn't a big deal.
Keith said with a wry smile, "I really can't charge you rent this time. You're already letting the two of us move in and looking after Alyssa on top of that. If you keep trying to pay me, I'll feel bad."
He had just finished packing everything he needed and looked a little helpless.
Serena gave it some thought and realized he had a point. She didn't want to owe him, but she also didn't want to force him to accept her help. So, she nodded. "Alright, no more rent."
When she agreed, Keith finally let out a breath. Sometimes, he thought she was a little too meticulous with these things. But he didn't want their relationship to be reduced to keeping score.
He said, "Since we've basically moved in today, I'll go buy groceries and cook something myself."
Serena was taken aback by Keith's words, her bright eyes opening a little wider. "Wait, you actually know how to cook?"
She'd always thought that guys like Keith, all business and power, only knew how to eat and just hired a chef for everything. It never occurred to her that he actually knew how to cook.
Keith replied, "You know how bad the food was back in Glonia."
He rolled up his sleeves and opened the fridge. To his surprise, there were already plenty of ingredients inside, and it was more than enough for dinner. It made sense. He had nearly forgotten that Serena was really skilled in the kitchen as well.
Serena couldn't help but laugh. "No kidding, it tasted awful. No wonder you had to learn."
She understood all too well that if someone went overseas, couldn't handle foreign food, and didn't know how to cook, they would honestly end up starving.
Keith then asked Serena to go play with Alyssa while he got started on dinner.
There was something oddly comforting about the way he chopped vegetables. Serena caught herself staring for a while, and suddenly, she felt what home was supposed to feel like
She had technically had a home in the past, but only now did she truly feel that sense of warmth and happiness.
Alyssa reached for Serena's hand from behind, and Serena snapped out of her thoughts. She gently led the little girl back into the room.
Keith didn't waste any time. He whipped up four dishes and a pot of soup in just under an hour. After that, he poked his head into the room to let Serena and Alyssa know it was time to eat.
His cooking was unexpectedly good. The food wasn't just passable, it was actually delicious. Serena had spent quite a bit of time honing her own culinary skills while living at Powell Villa, so she could tell that Keith was clearly a natural.
With a quiet hint of anticipation in his gaze, Keith asked, "Is it good?" Before this moment, he had never realized how much he might care about someone liking his food.
Serena nodded earnestly. "It's really good. You know what? It has been a long time since anyone has cooked for me. So, thank you." She meant every word of it.
She didn't know why, but under the soft, golden light, something in her heart stirred. It felt like a missing piece of her had quietly fallen back into place.
Out of nowhere, a young, innocent voice rang out. "Mom, it's okay. Don't be sad."
Serena was a little startled. She quickly noticed Alyssa reaching out with her tiny hand, gently rubbing her back the way adults do, as if trying to comfort her.
She didn't know how Alyssa could tell she was feeling down, but before she could dwell on it, Alyssa spoke again. She then immediately turned to Keith in astonishment.
Keith smiled warmly and nodded. "Yes, Alyssa just spoke." He turned to Alyssa and said, "Oh, your voice is so beautiful. You really are such a sweet, thoughtful little girl, Alyssa."
Alyssa's eyes lit up, and realizing she was being praised, she shyly lowered her head.
Keith added, "I'll update Dr. Sutter about this later. But the fact that she has spoken twice now means there's a real chance she can regain the ability to communicate like a normal child."
He had only been briefly surprised just now, but since Alyssa had spoken once before, he had been able to stay calm and view her progress with hope and clarity.
After the three of them finished eating, Serena offered to do the dishes. Keith didn't stop her. Instead, he stepped aside to call Nate, telling him that this time, he had truly heard Alyssa speak.
On the other end, Nate sighed dramatically, "See? Love really is the cure for everything. I told you, you used to be way too businesslike with Alyssa. Why don't you try being as gentle as Ms. Gray for once?"
Keith fell silent after hearing that.
All the tenderness he had in him, he had probably already given to Alyssa. But after so many years of silence, she had grown used to not speaking.
Keith figured if it weren't for Serena, Alyssa might have lived a happy enough life, but she probably would never have been like a normal kid again.
Nate continued, "Alright, I'm at a dinner right now. I'll run a full evaluation on Alyssa when I get back and see where she stands.
"You guys should keep an eye on her. If she talks again, try to guide her and get her to say a few more things. That'll help her progress."
After hanging up, Keith returned to the couch. Alyssa was sitting there, completely absorbed in the little doll Serena had made for her. When she heard him approaching, she looked up.
He asked, "Alyssa, do you like me?"
Alyssa nodded without hesitation.
Keith glanced toward Serena and asked gently, "And do you like Serena?"